Understanding Pathogenicity: Providing Information about Advances in Science and Technology to the Biological Weapons Convention
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Authors
Revill, James
Bowman, Katherine
Connell, Nancy
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Date of Issue
2016-06-28
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Language
en_US
Abstract
A workshop was held in August 2014 under the auspices of the IAP Biosecurity Working Group to discuss understanding and modulating pathogen virulence mechanisms and host immune responses. The workshop focused on two complementary strategies for combating infectious diseases: targeting pathogen virulence factors and modifying a host’s immune responses. These issues were directly relevant to the 2014 intersessional focus of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC). An understanding of pathogenicity and immunology has the potential to be misapplied to create pathogens with increased virulence or to decrease the effectiveness of responses to infection. Alternatively, advances in this understanding offer promising new strategies in disease treatment. The workshop brought together approximately 35 scientists from academia and industry, scientific and technical experts from BWC delegations, and members of stakeholder communities interested in BWC issues. The workshop did not attempt to arrive at consensus conclusions, although several points were made by multiple participants, including the caution that novel approaches to alter host and pathogen responses are possible but enormously complex. The methods discussed present interesting opportunities, and would likely be used as additional lines of defense in concert with traditional therapeutics. The presentations at the workshop also raised the point that lines of research may have unexpected positive, as well as potential negative results for other fields of study. As a result, many participants highlighted the need for continuing communication between scientists and policy-makers and for members of the scientific community to be aware of how they present the findings and implications of their work. An open question of significant interest remains the issue of how to evaluate the risks and benefits of certain areas of research and the control of resulting information: who should determine whether the research is conducted, how the results are distributed, and based on what criteria?
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Report
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Sponsors
Naval Postgraduate School’s Project on Advanced Systems and Concepts for Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (PASCC) via Assistance Grant/Agreement No. Grant Number: N00244-14-1-0039 awarded by the NAVSUP Fleet Logistics Center San Diego (NAVSUP FLC San Diego)
Funding
Grant Number: N00244-14-1-0039 awarded by the NAVSUP Fleet Logistics Center San Diego (NAVSUP FLC San Diego)
Format
37 p.
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This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.